"We deliberately designed the traffic trial as a learning project - with the clear aim of taking feedback from the public seriously and basing the results on what works in practice," says Lord Mayor Dennis Weilmann. "Many Wolfsburg residents have expressed themselves very clearly. These voices and the evaluation show: We need to make adjustments. Our goal remains a practical, safe and efficient traffic management system for everyone."

Left turns allowed again - with more protection for cyclists

Even after a one-year familiarization phase, the previous ban on left turns from Schillerstraße had not achieved the desired level of acceptance. In everyday life, the regulation was often perceived as impractical.

The scientific monitoring of the trial also showed that the ban was consistently flouted. The high number of illegal turns impaired the flow of traffic and posed safety risks for cyclists in particular.

In future, left turns are therefore to be permitted again - but with adapted, safety-oriented traffic management. The plan is to guide cycle traffic in the junction area separately past cars turning and driving straight ahead. In addition, the cycle lane in the junction area will be marked in red to increase visibility. The traffic lights will also be adjusted accordingly.

Stop caps are to be dismantled

In addition to the new regulation of turning traffic, we propose removing the bus stop caps. The bus stops should once again be arranged as bus bays. This step is also based on the results of the evaluation and critical comments from the public.

In future, the following vehicle traffic will be able to pass buses that have stopped while passengers are changing buses. This should improve the flow of traffic and reduce congestion.

We expect the dismantling of the bus stop caps and other temporary elements to cost around 100,000 euros. There is also a risk that up to 12,500 euros in subsidies will have to be repaid.

Evaluation with mixed results

The traffic trial was launched as part of the immediate action program "Perspektive Innenstadt!" and was scientifically monitored for over a year. The evaluation paints a differentiated picture:

• The separation of pedestrian and bicycle traffic significantly reduced conflicts.
• The journey times for local public transport remained stable.
• However, the stop caps led to delays in car traffic.
• The ban on left turns was permanently disregarded.

With the proposed adjustment, we want to find a solution that ensures both traffic safety and the efficiency of Schillerstraße in the long term.